PERMIT Act

Limits state and EPA Clean Water Act Section 401 reviews strictly to direct point source discharge compliance, sets mandatory application timelines, restricts enforcement of certification conditions solely to the federal licensing agency, and shortens legal challenge windows for interstate energy projects.

Extends the maximum duration of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits from 5 years to 10 years.

Expands the NPDES permit shield by deeming permittees in full compliance for unlisted pollutants that were disclosed during the application process or that occur in identified waste streams and facility operations.

Exempts federally approved pesticide applications and residues from Clean Water Act permitting, except for applications violating federal pesticide law, industrial or municipal wastewater, vessel discharges, and regulated stormwater.

Bars EPA from prohibiting, restricting, or vetoing Section 404 dredge-and-fill disposal sites before an applicant submits a complete permit application or after the Army Corps issues the permit.

Extends Section 404 general permits to 10-year terms, mandates nationwide permits for linear infrastructure and energy pipelines, and exempts nationwide permit renewals from Endangered Species Act consultations while allowing environmental assessments under NEPA.

Establishes a 60-day statute of limitations on lawsuits challenging Section 404 permits or state program approvals, limits legal standing to participating commenters, and prohibits courts from revoking or pausing permits on remand unless there is imminent and substantial danger to health or the environment.

Amends the Clean Water Act definition of "navigable waters" to explicitly exclude waste treatment systems, ephemeral streams that flow only after rain, groundwater, and qualified prior converted cropland used for agriculture within the preceding 10 years.

Requires states to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of combined sewer overflow controls and consider the commercial availability and cost of demonstrated treatment technologies when reviewing or setting water quality standards.

Requires the EPA Administrator to consider the cost and commercial availability in the United States of demonstrated treatment technologies when developing or updating federal water quality criteria.

Requires EPA to issue all new or revised water quality criteria through formal rulemaking and makes those rules directly reviewable in federal appeals courts.

Requires EPA to consider the commercial availability and demonstrated scale of technologies when establishing effluent limitation guidelines for industrial point sources.

Authorizes EPA to issue nationwide and regional general discharge permits, requires two years' advance notice if an expiring general permit will not be renewed, and automatically keeps expired general permits in effect until replaced or formally discontinued.

Requires that any water quality-based effluent limits added to discharge permits specify the exact pollutant and provide clear numerical limits or specific required control measures.

Exempts aerial applications of U.S. Forest Service-approved fire control and suppression products from Clean Water Act discharge permit requirements.

Prohibits EPA and states from requiring discharge permits for precipitation-driven stormwater runoff or subsurface drainage from agricultural lands.

Requires EPA to request any additional needed information within 45 days of receiving a state's application to assume dredge-and-fill permitting authority.

Ratifies state-administered Section 404 dredge-and-fill permit programs in Michigan, New Jersey, and Florida, barring EPA from revoking their approval without an act of Congress.

Directs EPA to review and revise its regulations within 180 days to streamline the process for states seeking to assume federal dredge-and-fill permitting authority.

Directs the Army Corps and EPA to revise aquatic mitigation rules to increase flexibility across mitigation options and credit approved land reclamation plans toward mitigation requirements.

Requires the Army Corps of Engineers to reallocate personnel and resources within 60 days to eliminate backlogs of Section 404 permit applications and jurisdictional determinations.

Raises the aboveground oil storage capacity thresholds that exempt agricultural farms from federal Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure plan rules.

Encourages states to participate in expedited FAST-41 coordinated environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects requiring state clean water authorizations.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the federal government should take a cooperative approach with watershed states and D.C. regarding compliance with the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load.

Directs the Army Corps of Engineers to identify federal parcels suitable for groundwater and aquifer recharge and establish streamlined permitting processes for recharge projects.

Directs EPA to establish a voluntary pilot program for agricultural producers to support state-led water quality improvements in waters impaired by nitrogen or phosphorus.

Authorizes the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission to accept public and private funds (excluding funds from foreign countries of concern) for wastewater, water conservation, and flood control projects, with annual reimbursements capped at $5 million.